Harry Kane breaks Messi’s decade-old record

Harry Kane keeps proving his lethal performance by breaking a record held by Lionel Messi for more than a decade, confirming his status as a leading candidate for this season’s personal honors.

Harry Kane shines once again in Bayern Munich’s colors by scoring a brace against Pafos in the Champions League, raising his total contributions this season to 20 (17 goals, 3 assists). This achievement makes the England captain the fastest player to reach 20 goal involvements early in a season, surpassing the previous record set by Lionel Messi during his 2012 Ballon d’Or campaign.

Notably, Kane did not play in his usual striker position but dropped deeper in Vincent Kompany’s 4-2-3-1 formation, making way for newcomer Nicolas Jackson. Nevertheless, the 31-year-old striker’s killer instinct was evident with two crucial goals.

Previously, Kane reached 20 goal contributions early for both Tottenham and Bayern, but it took him between 871 and 891 minutes. This time, he shattered his own limits with a much more impressive efficiency. Before Kane, only Messi managed this feat in under 800 minutes of play. Renowned scorers like Haaland, Mbappe, and Cristiano Ronaldo lagged behind.

In the Bundesliga, Kane is currently the only player to have scored 10 goals, far ahead of major European rivals such as Haaland (Man City) and Mbappe (Real Madrid), who have only reached 8 goals. This accomplishment not only makes him a strong contender for the European Golden Shoe but also opens a significant opportunity in the race for the 2026 Ballon d’Or or at least the Gerd Muller Award for the world’s best striker.

Last season, Kane won the Bundesliga title with Bayern, contributing 41 goals and 14 assists in 51 matches across all competitions. However, he only ranked 13th in the 2025 Ballon d’Or voting. If he maintains his devastating form and helps Bayern secure more trophies, Kane could break through to become a top candidate for the most prestigious individual football award.